Removing app icons android

6 Best Ways to Remove Dupli­cate Icons on Android and Stop It from Happening

Gaurav Bidasaria

26 Sep 2019

App icons are what separates apps from one another. Actually, apart from that are features, support, regular updates, and a lot of other stuff. App icons just allow us to differentiate apps visually, so we can identify and open the required app quickly. Some Android users are weirdly noticing duplicate icons on Android homescreen and even app drawer.

That can lead to confusion and annoyance, especially when you try and open an app, and nothing really happens. It can also be a malware which could lead to unexpected results. Either way, it’s not a good sign. So let’s see how we can remove duplicate icons in Android, and prevent it from happening again.

1. Update/Reinstall App

If you are noticing duplicate icons for a single app repeatedly, its possible that the error stems from the app itself, rather than somewhere else. At this point, you should update the app (if there is one), and check if that resolves the duplicate icon error in Android.

Just open Play Store, tap on the menu to select My apps & games and check for updates. Install if there is any for all the infected apps. You can also try uninstalling and reinstalling the infected app to see if that helps.

Play Store is the only official destination for downloading apps for Android. We have talked about APKMirror in the our posts, but we do that after thoroughly testing the link and the site. You should avoid sideloading apps procured from sketchy sites or forums, especially when you are facing issues like these.

2. Update OS

Updating your Android OS is the next thing that you should do. Open Settings and tap on System update under About phone. Options may vary based on the model of your phone and your location.

Check if there is an update available and install if there is one. That might help resolve several bugs.

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3. Virus and Malware

A possible malware or virus attack might be responsible for this behavior. Motives can range from stealing your precious data to harming your smartphone. Clicking on unknown app icons or links can be dangerous and should be avoided. I would recommend you to download Malwarebytes and an antivirus app immediately.

Perform a complete scan and see if anything is found. If yes, follow the on-screen instructions to take care of it. Perform another scan to be sure before checking if the duplicate icon on your Android phone problem is resolved or not. If unsure about which antivirus should you use, Avast is a good one.

4. Clear Cache Files

One common reason that was shared by users was the cache files. They can mess up with the icon files, showing more than one of them on the homescreen of your phone. Open Settings and tap on Manage apps and search for the one that is giving you the trouble, one at a time.

Open the app and tap on Clear data at the bottom to select Clear cache and Clear all data, one at a time.

That should work. Close all apps, maybe reboot if needed, and check if you can still see duplicate icons of the same app on the homescreen or the app drawer.

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5. Android Launcher Cache

I love using Nova launcher. Android launcher apps are responsible for how the homescreen and app drawer works and behaves. Search for the launcher that you are using and repeat the steps mentioned in point 4 above. Clear data and cache files.

Note that all your settings will be lost if you do that. So make sure to take a backup first. If restoring the backup as well as settings brings back the duplicate icon error, repeat the process and this time, set it up from scratch.

6. Progressive Web Apps

If you don’t know what progressive apps are, you can read Google’s guide on the same. Also, chances are you don’t have that problem if you don’t even know how to use it.

In short, when you open a website in your mobile browser, you see a pop-up asking you to save a shortcut on your homescreen. That’s a progressive web app, also called PWA.

These apps, or icon with a shortcut to URL of the website, can duplicate over time. It is possible that you yourself saved the same site multiple times, or it is messing with your cache files. Either way, delete them altogether. A better way is to use a browser bookmark. If you are saving URLs for articles, use an app like Pocket instead.

Iconic Personality

While duplicate icons can be harmless when they are the result of cache or memory issues, malware and virus can break things. One of the above solutions should have resolved the issue. If you found another way, do share with us in the comments below.

Next up: Using touch screen on Android? Click on the link below to customize or remap Android hardware buttons to different functions.

Last updated on 26 Sep, 2019
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.

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Remove app icon in Android O pinned shortcuts

In Android O new pinned shortcuts API has been introduced. In additional they simple block old way (via «com.android.launcher.action.INSTALL_SHORTCUT» action).

At the end this API works but new pinned shortcut icons have app icon at the bottom right. I.e. you provide some icon in the API, but the final shortcut icon on the launcher have in additional app icon.

I know that this was added specially for inform the user which app has created the shortcut.

But is there any way for remove this icon and show icon which I provide in ShortcutManager.requestPinShortcut (ShortcutInfo shortcut,IntentSender resultIntent) ?

Update 1
Many users of my app think that I do this specially (and some users even try to buy Pro mode for disable this). So I really want to find any possible workarounds, as I understand from Oreo source code — this happens because a launcher app requests shortcut icon with the badge. So valid fix can be made only on launcher side only.
I also tried to cheat system function for obtain shortcut icon with the badge — while you use requestPinShortcut the system adds your app id automatically to the shortcut info, I tried to avoid this and provide 0 instead of valid app id, but seems somewhere on low level this is blocked and creating of a shortcuts is not happen.
Another try: setup the app icon to transparent, so this works, but don’t look cool (your app icon is empty). So I tried to create separate app without main activity but with empty app icon — in this case the system crashes 🙂

At the end I can find only one workaround — if the user add shortcut not in the app, but via add from widgets flow then the shortcut icon is not changed. I provided this solution to my users.

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Android remove app icon action bar

Hello everyone i create ActionBar. viewpages and custom action bar.Now i want to remove(hide) app icon in ActionBar i used setDisplayShowHomeEnabled(false); but nothing happened. This is a my code

what is wrong ? if anyone know solution please help me thank you.

5 Answers 5

So You Are getting Home icon.

If You want to hide app icon in Particular Activity Use

If You want to hide app icon in Full Application Use setDisplayShowHomeEnabled(false) and setDisplayShowTitleEnabled(false)

UPDATE ::- If you have customized your action bar using XML then you can try some thing like ..

This eventually will hide your app icon and title ..

As suggested on stack you can also try some combination like ..

UPDATE2

Action Bar automatically adjusts every stuff for you. For Ex: If you have lot of stuffs in you title bar then Action Bar adjusts title some thing like YourPr. instead of your complete title like YourProject.

You need not to wonder for that.

UPDATE 3

If some one want to customize ActionBar then it can easily be accomplished like ..

Then now here you have your textview .. or any thing you wish like you may have a btn over here ..

Simply now apply click listener or any thing you like ..

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Remove app icon with NotificationCompat.Builder

I’m using the NotificationCompat.Builder to build my notification and I’m pretty much following the guidlines here: http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/notifiers/notifications.html

The notification small icon is a small white only version designed to be displayed in Android’s status bar.

The problem is that whatever I do the same icon is used to indicate the originating app and I simply want to hide it because my app icon is also the notification big icon

How can I do that (Android 5+)?

• I’m setting the icon with setSmallIcon()

The icon I’m talking about is the notification icon next to the photo here: http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/notifications.html#Anatomy

1 Answer 1

You should not be using your app icon for the large icon.

The large icon should be used for displaying contextual information specific to a particular notification (e.g. the image of a user who sent your user a message). The small icon is always displayed, and accompanies the large icon to indicate which app is displaying the notification.

If you are not using a different large icon, then all you need to do is set the appropriate small icon and Android will only display that icon. Don’t let the name «small» fool you- it will be displayed at the normal notification icon size. The only time it is «small» is when you also specify a large icon.

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How can I remove unwanted app icons from the screen?

I’m new to using an android. Apps I have never visited nor installed are showing up on my screen (Slots, Candy Crush, Expedia, Droid Games). If I touch them, I go to their site. I would like to remove them but can’t figure out how? Any ideas?

3 Answers 3

Sounds like you tapped into some spam trap. Certain apps place advertisements this way — though the new playstore rules do no longer allow that. Others do the same in the notification area. Airpush is the best known evil source of such.

I suggest you scan your device for such apps. Try e.g. with TrustGo Ad Detector. Quoting from the apps description:

It is common for advertising networks to collect information on how you use your device. Your information is then used for targeted marketing campaigns.

Some common and aggressive methods include:

• Pushing ads to your Android notification bar
• Creating unauthorized shortcuts on your home screen
• Modifying the default browser, homepage and bookmarks settings
• Subscribing you to emails and text messages when an ad is clicked
• Making phone calls and downloading malicious files when an ad is clicked

At least one line sounding familiar? (remark: emphazation is mine).

EDIT: Once you’ve identified the malicious app, make sure to.

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